


falling, falling

by moonslover



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: M/M, RIP, also pretty much one sided arthur/lewis, this is not a happy fic, very arthur centered and the rest are kinda just there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 10:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16345307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonslover/pseuds/moonslover
Summary: It's a long way down, and Arthur has a lot to think about.





	falling, falling

**Author's Note:**

> i watched all three vids in one day after finding out hellbent was released and then i read a theory that arthur likes lewis and here i am bc i cant pass up on some sexy angst
> 
> all mistakes r mine !

When Arthur is falling, he remembers about fifty things in one go. 

He remembers the feeling of falling, in a whole different way, years before. 

He remembers the way his heart would speed up at the littlest contact, how his face would burn and how Lewis never seemed to notice. 

Arthur remembers Lewis and Vivi happily announcing their relationship to him. And he remembers the way his heart sunk. 

He remembers still loving Lewis all the same, despite his relationship status. 

And he remembers crying himself to sleep, every single night. 

It’s a pretty sad love story, if you can even call it that. His love story was never meant to last, an ending forced in his face. 

(Or maybe it’d be considered a game over, though there was no such thing as second chances.) 

Those are the more prominent memories, the ones he can remember just by closing his eyes. Every detail is there - the joy on his friends’ faces, and the pain on his. 

However there are also the distant ones, the memories that seem to have happened but seem to have didn’t at the same time. 

This feeling of falling, it’s familiar, but it’s not the one where Arthur is falling head over heels for Lewis. 

It’s almost like Deja Vu. 

Lost in his thoughts, he’s vaguely aware impact should come soon. 

Time seems to slow down when you’re dying, he guesses.

That’s how it was when Lewis grabbed Vivi’s hand in his, smile wide, telling Arthur they’re dating. 

Dying. 

It felt as if Arthur was dying a second time, maybe a third, if you count the time Lewis proudly showed off his heart locket to him. 

Inside it was a picture of him and Vivi, looking ever so happy and Arthur wished that was him, in her place. 

Snapping back to reality, and becoming more conscious of his surroundings, Arthur knows that he’s going to get impaled by the sharp spikes. 

Death awaits.

That’s a really scary thought, and he squeezes his eyes shut, bracing himself for what may come. 

He’s waiting for the inevitable pain. 

If only Arthur had prepared himself for the worst during his time in love with Lewis. Maybe then his heart wouldn’t have ached so hard. 

Nobody, nothing, could’ve prepared him for Lewis’ death though. It’s even worse because Vivi doesn’t remember. 

Mystery, like it’s name - is a total mystery and to be honest Arthur is terrified of it. 

He’s never talked to anybody about Lewis, about how he misses him, or about how it really fucking hurts sometimes. 

(All the time.)

Every single piece of evidence he could gather leads to nothing. Thin air. 

Lewis didn’t die, really, he just disappeared. 

Of course that’s what Arthur had been convincing himself until a few minutes ago. 

Their first encounter with the skeleton monster thing left him confused and naturally, scared out of his mind.

Arthur’s a very anxious person, thank you very much.

But when he faced the skeleton for the second time, inches away from death, he’d felt something else. 

Morbid happiness. 

Or something like that. 

Being able to see him again, to see him and know it’s Lewis made Arthur want to jump for joy. If he wasn’t grabbed by the collar, floating inches away from death he really would’ve gone for it. 

Realizing the predicament he was in, smiling was probably out of the option too. 

All Arthur could do was plead, or try to, before embracing his fate. 

“Lewis-” he wanted to apologize, apologize for not realizing sooner and for running away. 

(Back in the mansion, back when he was alive, back when there was somebody to love.)

Arthur had wanted to tell him the one phrase that’d been stuck in the back of his throat for so long, but never got the chance to. 

Because next thing he knew, he was letting go. 

It might’ve been the result of daily daydreams of a life with Lewis - where they’re together, but Arthur swears he sees the bouncing heart turn from orange to grey, cracking. 

That’s all he manages to catch before all he can see is the purple ceiling of the cave. 

Everything looks so big, and almost endless. 

It’s almost lonely. 

There are so many questions Arthur has for Lewis, he wants to catch up, knowing he’s here - albeit a little less meaty, but still there. 

God, he’s missed him so much and yet he can’t do anything. 

Except fall. 

Just like always. 

* * *

It really is lonely. 

That’s the first thing he thinks of when Vivi takes shotgun and Arthur reluctantly moves to the back. 

It’s about a month after they’ve started dating, and he wants to be happy for his friends but can’t find it in him to do so.  
When your crush - your best friend, is dating your other best friend, what do you do?

Arthur can’t let go. 

Arthur doesn’t want to. 

The feelings he has for Lewis are important, and he knows it’s not healthy, desperately clinging onto a thin thread of hope like this.

Knowing doesn’t mean doing though, and it doesn’t mean changing so he’s deluded himself into thinking that This Is Fine, nothing worse could possibly happen. 

Except the heartache kind of multiples, by a lot. 

They’re a pretty open couple, and Arthur has to face the brunt of it. 

Hugging right in front of him, looking so in love he almost wants to leave the group. 

Thankfully they haven’t kissed in front of him.

And despite being insanely upset with them, Arthur values them. 

And he knows they value him. 

Still.

Every time they do anything slightly romantic when he’s there, the bile rises, and he has to excuse himself.

Mystery can tell when he’s feeling sick, throwing small glances of worry at times, and at others, completely ignoring Arthur. 

That’s fine. He’s used to being ignored.

The third wheel isn’t enough to describe how he feels. 

It’s like his entire heart has been ripped out of his chest, and there’s just a hollow space leftover. 

Yet Arthur still feels pain, hurt, anguish, and many other things when he sees them. 

And he hates it. 

The feeling of unhappiness, and jealousy. It’s disgusting. 

Vivi is a good friend, they’re perfect for one another and it hurts even more, when he’s in one of his moods and recalls everything they’ve done as a trio. 

The memories of them as three soon fades into the ones where Arthur is alone with Lewis, or when he’s watching the latter, heart beating out of his chest. 

He’d always been afraid of getting caught staring, sweat forming on his forehead everytime Lewis turned away and his head came up with imaginary scenarios between them.

Daydreaming always got out of hand, because Arthur would be washing the van, and next thing he knew he was cuddling fake Lewis and seconds after that, there’s water everywhere. 

Ever the understanding one, he’d never get mad. Only gave him a towel (his towel) for Arthur to dry himself off with. 

Sometimes even a spare change of clothes if he was lucky. 

(He wears the oversized shirt at times, when he’s missing Lewis badly.)

(Vivi asks why his shirt is so big, and he can only shrug, faking a smile.) 

Arthur missed when Lewis would look at him properly, not those side glances when he’s busy talking to Vivi. 

Well, truthfully, he misses them both. 

Being in mutual love must be a big deal (Arthur wouldn’t know) with how much time they spend together. 

When was the last time he got to sit in front anyway?

  


The next time Arthur gets a panic attack, Lewis isn’t there. 

(He always is.)

Thinking about how he’s probably enjoying his date with Vivi, Arthur lands himself into another attack, sobbing endlessly. 

Using the shirt as some sort of security blanket helps a bit, but the tears don’t stop. 

That night, Arthur goes to bed shaking like a leaf, snot everywhere, feeling emptier and colder than ever.

The next day, neither of them notice the way his eyes are red, or how he looks like shit, absorbed in each other as usual. 

Nodding at him, they only inform him of the investigation taking place that night. 

It’s some haunted cave, Arthur drowns out the details, preferring to shut his eyes and down his coffee like it’s his only life line.

When he replies, after Vivi stops talking, they don’t flinch at the way his voice is hoarse.

Arthur does. 

And it’s not just because of the way he sounds. 

The whole day is spent sulking and hiding himself away at the workshop. 

Distracting himself with a new invention, he spots some lavender on the table.

Tears start to well up again, and he chokes.

Only one person knows that lavenders are his favourite. 

Aside from being pretty, they smell nice and calming so Arthur makes sure he always has some on hand. 

He forgot all about it last night. 

Why is that when Arthur is trying to forget Lewis, he comes back only to make him fall even harder?

The sun sets and the flower is the only thing on his mind. New invention be damned. 

On the ride to the creepy cave, Arthur gets shifted to the back (as usual) and tries to ignore how close Vivi and Lewis are. 

After the flower, he wants to try talking, starting a conversation like the good old days. Before he can do so however, Lewis turns to face Vivi and they get lost in each other. 

Without Arthur. 

Again, nothing new.

The way his heart drops upon hearing their laughter is nothing new too. 

Instead, Arthur watches the trees pass by in a flurry and almost wishes they never got together. 

As quickly as he’d thought it, he takes it back. 

Arthur loves his friends to death, wishing for something so horrible doesn’t sit right with him. 

Slyly, like he always has, he watches the way Lewis’ eyes sparkle when he’s talking to Vivi. 

It’s one of the reasons why Arthur had fallen for him. 

The excitement mirrors Vivi’s, and they really are perfect for each other. 

Frankly, he detests the paranormal and the only reason he’s still in the team is because of Lewis. 

(And Vivi, but mostly Lewis.)

They come to a stop, and he gulps. 

This is not going to be fun. 

  


They enter the suspicious cave, and Arthur is ready to make a run for it, hands daring to go onto Lewis’ shoulders like they’re his life support.

Vivi suggests they split up, looking back and forth at the fork in the road. 

She’s always been impatient and continues to the right path without waiting for a reply. Like the obedient pet it is, Mystery runs after her. 

Leaving the two of them alone. 

His palms start sweating at the fact, and his grip on Lewis’ shoulders tighten. If he minds, he doesn’t say anything. 

The fog that appears is so suddenly extremely prominent, and Arthur can’t recall it ever being there.

What happens after that happens in a blur, he tries to call out to Lewis, warning him but instead, something different happens. 

A green arm.

Memories which were once blurry, and vague turn clearer, and Arthur realizes about twenty new things at once. 

Lewis is falling, and he’s the reason why.

This was never how Arthur wanted Lewis to fall for him, and he never wanted this to happen. 

_Oh, but you did._

A voice, somewhere in his head provides an argument and his thought from earlier that day. 

Remembering Lewis is still falling, Arthur tries to run towards the edge of the cliff, only to catch the way a spike stabs the person he loves the most. 

And then, Arthur sees himself. 

Something changes, the fog turns purple and everything is different. 

Right, this time, he’s the one falling. 

It’s an unexpectedly long fall, and Arthur hates how much he ended up remembering. 

But he doesn’t hate Lewis. 

Hating him is probably the last thing he could ever do, dead or alive. 

So he appreciates the fact that they’ve been endlessly searching for one another and lets himself go. 

_I love you._

* * *

Even at death’s door, Arthur is still alone.

**Author's Note:**

> thank u 4 reading i literally shit this out in like . 2 days leave a comment on how i can improve if u want ! have a good day uwu
> 
> ALSO!! title is from [day6's jpn song falling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jL9F2mIIT4) listen to it shes sad read the lyrics so we can die like Men


End file.
